Toys of Men

Renowned jazz bassist Stanley Clarke returns and examines the emotional sweep of war with his album, 'Toys of Men', which is another masterful recording from this innovative, brilliant musician.

"If you study history, and the history of warfare, it boils down to some very simple dynamics", says Stanley. "When there are disagreements and disputes between countries, people always go back to their toys and how they can use them to intimidate their adversaries. This goes all the way back to the days when we were fighting each other with swords and shields, and even rocks and clubs. It's just a part of human nature, particularly with men. There's this basic belief, however flawed as it might be, that the only way you're really going to get what you want is by conquering someone or something. In those moments in history when we've been at war or on the brink of war, the whole idea of just allowing something to be what it is just doesn't exist."

This recurring phenomenon of human history is the topic of the title track of this album - a six-part suite, which is the cornerstone that opens this 13-song set, and spans a range of colours - from the dark & violent to the uplifting + transcendent.

"Come On" and "Jerusalem", the two tracks that follow the opening suite, carry a socio-political weight all their own. "'Come On' is about letting go of the things that are holding you back, and finding some peace within yourself", say Stanley. "Sometimes when I'm playing music, I just want to tell people, 'Come on, drop the baggage. Drop the negative energy and be more positive.'"

"Jerusalem", written by keyboardist Ruslan Sirota, a native of Israel, is a track whose gentle melody transcends the unrest that has plagued the revered Middle Eastern city for thousands of years and reconnects with its inherent beauty. "The middle part of the song reduces to nothing more than a single tone, and then it rises again", say Stanley. "I've been to Jerusalem a number of times, and the song reminds me of a sunset I once saw there."

Also among the highlights is "All Over Again", an immigrant story with lyrics written & sung by up-and-coming acoustic bassist + vocalist Esperanza Spalding. The song is about a friend of Stanley's who was forced to leave the U.S. - and the woman he loved - because of his immigration status. "This couple had been together for a while, and they were going to get married, but he had to leave", Stanley recalls. "From a legal standpoint, there were no two ways about it. They petitioned the court, but it didn't work out in his favor, so he left."

The Brazilian-flavored "La Cancion de Sofia", underscored by the subtle but infectious rhythms of percussionist Paulinho da Costa, is Stanley's song to his wife. "She's a very interesting woman", he says. "She's very forward thinking, because she's an artist, yet very much a traditionalist at the same time. There's this pull that she constantly experiences between looking toward the future and still having these old-school sensibilities at the same time. This piece just sounds like her."

Also in the mix are a number of understated acoustic bass interludes, which collectively represent a relatively new tack for an artist who has built his reputation on fiery electric bass riffs. "I actually recorded those tracks in my dining room," say Stanley. "It has a very high ceiling and a lot of wood. I just put the bass in there and rolled tape. I've really been practicing with the acoustic bass a lot in the last couple years, and I've developed some different techniques and styles. A lot of that has come from touring with Jean-Luc Ponty and Al Di Meola in Rite of Strings. Working with them, I've developed a way to play the acoustic bass as a truly solo instrument."

The quiet interludes offer a glimmer of optimism in a moment of history that is plagued by war & global unrest. Despite the occasionally bleak subject matter of 'The Toys of Men', Stanley's outlook remains generally optimistic.